Although Toronto Fashion Week officially rears its head next week, the so-called Rogue Fashion Week is now upon us. This time around, powerhouse IMG has purchased the rights to our official Week. A number of young designers involved with The Fashion Collective have decamped, choosing to put on their own series of shows — dubbed The Collections — at the Burroughes Building. Laura Siegel kicked off the series of spring/summer 2013 collections.
Last season, Siegel wowed us with her darkly ethereal showing inspired by dreamscapes and India’s rugged beauty. This time around the designer opted to eschew a runway show, instead presenting her collection on a clutch of models who strode out and perched on individual wooden boxes. While we appreciate alternative methods of presentation, the experience tends to be marred by the scurry to take in the individual looks. Neck-craning aside, Siegel’s take on spring was impressive. Using various hand-dyeing, printing and embroidery techniques, the designer showcased looks in a medley of greens and sand tones, with hot pink serving as the accent colour. Favourite looks included a tonal green tie-dyed dress with a mid-thigh cutout and a tan jacket starring a wraparound fringe collar.
Next up was the hot-ticket event of the night: Chloé Comme Parris. Designer sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon have been wowing Toronto’s most stylish for a few seasons now and, having just shown in NYC, are slowly building their empire. With the show held in the runway space, this season saw the CCP girl shed her demons and move forward in a lighter, more feminine manner. Prints have always been a strength in their collections; for spring we saw intricate florals — as we’ve seen in the past — shown alongside larger ones, splayed across entire garments. A white silk shift featured a dreamy blown-up flower across its surface, while a pair of teeny shorts starred rows of delicate spring blooms. Meanwhile, a pale pink leather vest with grommet details and a silk back panel was perfect for the mellowed-out rocker chick. Jewellery had more of a laissez-faire attitude, with hourglass earrings meeting languid necklaces dotted with grassy green or washed-out yellow baubles. Overall, it was yet another hit showing for CCP.
Rounding out the eve was a presentation by Label. Also held in the larger runway space, designers Shawna Robinson and Natalie Sydoruk paraded out a series of basic sporty looks that were matched by bold necklaces from Cuchara. The strongest pieces featured a bold geometric print; others focused on simple details including side-ties and twists over the midriff. Elasticized, high-waisted shorts and baseball tees both fell flat. Although we greatly appreciate that the line is produced and hand-printed here in the city, the collection wasn’t quite the home run we were looking for — although it did serve as an excellent canvas for the jewellery.
Meanwhile, across town in a loft space, the first day of the shOws saw looks paraded out by Canuck ex-pats Tanya Taylor and Jean-Pierre Braganza, both of whom just showed in New York. Unfortunately due to scheduling mayhem and a yawning distance between the two locations, attending simultaneous presentations was all but impossible (though we do appreciate that things aren’t being stretched over a tiresome three-week period this season).
Highlights from Taylor’s spring collection include cheeky floral bustiers and full-skirted dresses with side cutouts. A jacked-up shade of orange and island shades of blue were fresh injections of colour, and were a perfect representation of the sunny holiday feel the designer was going for.
Meanwhile, the London-based Braganza continued to be influenced by geometry for spring. While some looks featured mirror images, others took an asymmetrical route, with skewered angles making up hemlines. Favourite pieces included a shirt-dress starring a vibrant red and blue graphic pattern, and dresses blocked with what looked like the remnants of a shattered mirror.
Tomorrow: Sid Neigum, Jeremy Laing and more
